Setts



0. OHLSON.

SETTING LOCK FOR TIME FUSES.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.5. 191s.

1,358,236, v PanwaNov. 9,1920.

Y' ting means and the timing device in such Y UNITED STATES PA'rsN'r ori-ica Vonor* OHLSON, or NEWTON, MASsAcHUsnTTS, ASSIeNOIeJ `'ro WALTHAM 'WATCH Y COMPANY, or WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MASSACHU- SETTS. A

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led January 5, 1918. Serial No. 210,494. i

To all whom t may concern:

Y Be it known thatl, OLor` OHLSON, a citizen kof the United States, residing at Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Setting-LocksV for Time-Fuses, of which the following is a specication. y This invention relates to time fuses adapted to detonate explosive charges, and particularly to fuses which are applied to artillery shellsfor the purpose of exploding the shell-after lapse of a-given time following the firing of the shell from a gun. Such fuses are equipped with adjustable timing devices, by the setting oi' which the time of detonating the [shell is determined.

rl`he particular` object of my invention is to provide, in connection with a means for setting the timing device of such a fuse, a proper locking means for securing the setmanner-that the adjustment of the latter will not be disturbed or altered by the shocks to which the fuse is subjected when the shell to which it is applied is fired from the gun.

' A further object is to associate with such lock and setting means, complemental stops for use when the fuse'to which the invention is Vapplied is of the mechanical type wherein the detonation is eected by hammer and trigger'mechanism to impose limits tothe adjustment of the timing device at such points that, on the one hand accidental release or operation-ofthe hammer and trigger mechanism is prevented, and on the other hand injury to such mechanism isprevented.

The invention consists in means for accomplishing` the' foregoing objects in the manner hereinafter setforth, and includes not only the specific embodiment illustrated and describedin the following specification, but also all modiiications o the same containing the essential principles thereof embraced within the scope 'of Vthe appended claims. `The particular l'form oitheinventhe essential principles are not limited tothe combination with or applicationto that particular fuse, or even to a fuse of the mechanical type as distinguished from those of other' types, wherefore my claim to protection 1s not limited Otherwisefthan appears claims.

.Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 shows in elevation a time fuse having my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and a said line. 1 Fig. 3 is a plan view as seen from beneath of the settingmember and lock in which my invention is contained.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920. Y

-from 'the express terms of the appended plan view of the parts below Fig. 4; is a plan view of the'base-Showing Yi the same'with all superposed vparts removed. Fig. 5 1s a vlongitudinal sectionon a larger scale of those parts of the fuse which includeV my invention and the'ess'ential cooperating parts. 1 6 is a perspective View in detail of the The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the igures.`

10 is the base of the fuse, member or means, 12 the cap and 18 the timing'device which is adjustable to determine the time Oi" detonation of the shell to which the fuse is applied, and is engageable with the setting member through a coupling 14. The base is provided with a screw threaded Shank '15 adapted toV be Vscrewed. into a threaded liole'in the nose of a shell, butany other suitable means 'orattaching it tothe 11 the setting shell maybe provided.` 'As the .i'nse here hammer which is controlled .by the timing device 13.

Both the timing device 13 and the setting member 11 aremounted in such a manneras to be rotatable about the 'same axis, which is the'geometrical axis of the. fuse, and coinl.'

cides asnearly as possible with the aXiS about which the shell rotateswhen in iiight. The setting member is a ring which surrounds the timing device and also the fuse mechanism, and is connected to the fuse base by means which permits its rotation and at the same timef prevents it Afrom, being removed fromthe base, such means-beingpreferably overlappingfannular ribs 17 and 18 von the Y lever 24, said finger being shown in Figs. 2

and 5. At such time the finger 23, which is constantly pressed toward the timing device and always bears on the rim thereof, enters the notch 21 and causes release of the hammer, which is then actuated to ignite the percussion cap and so fire or detonate the explosive charge in the shell. lthough the end of finger overhangs the edge of the y timing device, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the upstanding part of the finger does not enter any part of such edge,'which is continuous and Without indentations of any sort, except the notches 21 and 28, until it enters notch 21, as above described. The instant when this action occurs is called for the purposes of the present description, the time of detonation of the fuse. The hammer and trigger mechanism which is controlled by the timing device 13 and by the release lever 24, is not here shown for the reason that it is not material to the resent invention what the precise nature o such mechanism may be, but for a complete illustration of anoperative mechanism adapted to be used with the devices here shown, attention is directed to my pending application Serial VNumber 206,278 hereinbefore referred to. For the purposes of this specification, the lever 24, or its finger 23 may be called a tripping device for tripping, that is, permitting operation of, the firing hammer and so detonating the exploding charge, when the timing device arrives in a certain position.

The coupling 14 is a spring arm secured at one end by screws 25 to the interiorl surface 27 of the setting ring, and having its opposite end bent toward the timing device and arranged so that it may enter a notch 28 in the rim of the latter near the notch 21, and beside a projection 29. Said coupling is thus engaged with the timing device, so that the latter may be moved in either direction by corresponding movements of the setting member 11, at any time before the shell is to be lired,'and it may then be withdrawn from this notch, to permit driving of the setting device by themechanism provided for the purpose in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. This coupling may be actuated in the-manner indicated by means such as that disclosed in my pending' application Serial Number 170,421 previously referred to, or by any other means suitable for the purpose. Even when thus withdrawn The explosion of the charge whlch propels the shell applies a ,sudden and violent impact to the shell and the rifling of the gun causes it to start rotating with almost equal violence. ber or ring 11 and of the cap 12, which 1s mounted upon said ring, would cause the latter to turn rearwardly with respect to the base, which is rigidly attached to the shell, in the absence of any locking means to prevent such relative motion. I have provided locking means to prevent this action, which embodies the principal novel features of theA present invention. Such locking means comprises wedges 30 and 30a, here shown as three in number which are connected to#V gether by a band 31. These wedges and the band fit loosely within the setting ring and are surrounded by the surface 32 of the latter. The ends Aof the wedges project into recesses or sockets 33 and 33a in the base. The external surfaces of these wedges are parallel with the fuse axis, but their inteL rior surfaces are inclined to such axis, and are tapered toward the ends which enter the sockets 33. Normally the Wedges loosely engage the base and the setting member and offer no appreciable resistance to the free movement of the-latter, but under the imh The inertia of the setting mem- Vat pact applied by the explosion of the pro-v pelling charge, their inertia, supplemented by the inertia of the band 31, drives them forcibly into the recesses 33 and wedges them between the parts of the base and of the settingmember against which their in'- ner and outer surfaces respectively bear. The band 31 is sufficiently flexible as not to prevent them from beingcrowded outwardV against the setting member by this wedging action.` Thus the wedges are setback upony firing the gun so as to lock the setting member in the adjustment which has been given, and enable the latter to hold the timing device against relative backward rotation when the shell begins to spin. Y

The band 31 serves a three fold purpose.

los

First, to hold the wedges in position so that i toA provide a number of wedges in order'to distribute the locking effect and thus secure the setting member more firmly.

The third function of the band 31, above referred to, will now be described. This band carries at any convenient point a stop constituted by two short inwardly projecting pins or studs 34;, said stop cooperating with a complemental stop 35 in the form of a pin carried by a part or the setting member and projecting downwardly inside the band 31 and at a greater distance from the a-Xis of the Vfuse than the inner end of the stopV pins 34. rihe purpose oi' the complemental stops 34 and 35 is to apply limits to the possible movement of the setting Vmember so that the latter can not turn through a complete rotation. By referring to F ig. 2 it will be noted that the timing of the fuse is eiiected by turning the setting device to enlarge or restrict the angle, in the direction Vof the arrow, from the notch 28 to the nger 23. If by adjustment or the timing device the notch should be brought all theway to the linger, the latter would enter it and the hammer and trigger mechanism would Vbe tripped. This would leave the hammer resting on the centrifugal safety guard, with which the particular fuse here shown is equipped, instead offen the trigger, and prevent the proper functioning of the hammer after the shell is firedV from the gun. Hence the stop 34 is so placed as toV arrest the setting member at a point short of the point where the notch 21 is brought into exact registry with the nger 23.

The'opposite side of the stop is located to arrest theV rotation of the setting member in the direction opposite to that above indicated before the coupling has quite reached the linger 23, in order to avoid any injury to such linger, `or to the lever 24 by which it is carried, by amming of the coupling forcibly against the linger. Thus the total range of adjust-ment permitted is less than a complete rotation of the setting member by the angle subtended by the coinbined width of the stops 34 and 35.

In this discussion the stop 34 has been treated as a single unit because in effect ,it is exactly that, in spite of the fact that it is composed of two structurally distinct pins or studs. Provided the stop is so designed and located as to limit the adjust-ment of the setting member in the manner above described, it is immaterial what its construction in detail may be and whether it is made as a single piece or of a number of pieces.

In order to insure that in assembling the parts of the fuse the stops last described will be properly positioned with respect to the nger 23 and the notch 21 and coupling 14, the structural element consisting of the band and wedgesis so made that it can be placed in only one position, and to tial point of this part of the invention is` that the wedges are inseparably connected to the band and are adapted toV enter sockets, `and that one of the wedges and its cemplemental socket are different in dimensions or form from the other wedges and sockets, or there is such irregularity in spacing that the wedges can be entered in their sockets only when the band is in a speeiiic position with relationv to the other parts of the `fuse. Unless the wedges are entered in the sockets, the setting member can not be seated on the base soV as either to engage the coupling 4with the Vtiming device, or to receive the locking wire 19; because an internal shoulder 36 is provided on the setting member which overlies and engages the upper edge of the band 31. If the points of the wedges bear on the base without entering the sockets, the band holds the setting member in a position where it is totally inoperative.

The cap 12 is preferably of metal having suiiicient strength to protect the mechanism et the `tuse from injury in case the shell should be Aaccidentally dropped with its point downward; and it is also preferably of linely taperediorm to diminish the air resistance. Structurally it is a separate piece 'from the setting member', and it may be applied thereto in Aa variety 'of ways, either by screws 37 as shown in Fig. 1.v which pass through the base of the cap into that part of the setting member which is surrounded by the cap, or by virtue ot the construction shown in F ig. 5 wherein the setting member and the base portion oi the cap `are provided with interlocking shoulders 38 and 39, respectively. Owing to the tapered 'formation of the 4setting member the cap may be forcedA over'lt bythe application ot sufficient force, the metal of the cap stretch- Y ing within the elastic limit enough to permit the shoulder 39 to pass over the shoulder 33 and then to spring into placebelow the latter. This forms a connection preventing accidental removal ofthe cap and also making impossible intentional vmischievous removal of the same for the purpose et' tampering with the fuse mechanism.

The essential principles of this' invention are adaptable to time fuses of other types than the mechanicaltype, and to other mechanical. time fuses than the sieciiic one illustrated in my prior applications herein` before specified.v I conceive that these principles may thus be combined with any fuse having a settingmember operable by adjustment to effect the timing of the fuse, wherefore I donot restrict the invention for which I ask protection to the specific combination in which the same is here disclosed, or in any other manner than as appears from the express terms of the appended claims.

V'Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a time fuse the combination with a base member and a setting member mounted thereon adjustable to regulate the timing of the fuse, said members having coaxial overlapping parts and one of them having a socket between said parts, of a wedge entering such socket and the inner and outer surfaces of which are convergent, said wedge being normally held by said socket in place and in such loose engagement with said overlapping parts as to permit free adjustment of the setting member, but arranged to be forced: upon firing by inertia tightly into engagement with said parts, whereby to prevent displacement of the setting member. 2. In a time fuse the combination of base member and a relatively adjustable setting member mounted thereon, said members having coaxial and coextensive surfaces and an inserted annular locking piece contained partly in each of said surfaces, theA base having also a socket, and a wedge entering said socket normally bearing loosely at one side on the setting member and at the opposite side upon the opposite wall of the socket, and arranged to be forced by set back into locking engagement with said members whereby to prevent displacement of the setting member, and the setting member having a shoulder overlying the wedge and at a distance from the mouth of the socket less than the length of the wedge when the members are assembled as described.

3. In a time fuse the combination with a base of a setting member adjustable relatively thereto to regulate the timing of the fuse, a wedge located at a given point between adjacent parts of said base and said member, being loosely engaged with the latter to permit adjustment thereof and adapted to be crowded by set back into tight Y engagement with said parts, and complemental means associated with said setting member and said wedge, respectively, arranged to limit rthe range of possible adjustment of the setting member.

4. In a mechanical time fuse a base, a setting member, and a combined wedge and stop arranged to limit adjusting movements of the setting member at any time and to prevent all movements of said member after firing of a projectile'equipped with the fuse from a gun 5. In a time fuse a base, a setting member Lacasse adjustable to regulate the timing of the fusa mounted on said base, a plurality of wedges inserted loosely between adjacent coaxial parts of said base and setting member angularly spaced about the axis of adjustment of the setting member, a band connected to said wedges, and complemental stops on the band and setting member arranged to limit the range of possible adjustment of the latter.V

6. In a time fuse, a base, a setting member mounted on the base and adjustable thereon about an axis to regulate the timing of thel fuse, a band coaxial with said axis, a plurality of wedges projecting axially from said band and adapted tobeV forced by inertia upon firing into `locking engagement between adjacent parts of the base and setting member, said wedges and the base being complementally formed and arranged to permit of assemblage in only one position, and complemental stops on the band and setting member respectively arranged to limit the extent of adjustment of the member.` 7. In a time fuse a base, a setting member mounted thereon and adjustablev about an axis to regulate the timing of the fuse, a plurality of wedges and a connecting band arranged between contiguousv parts of the base and setting member coaxially with said axis, and the base having sockets to receive the ends of said wedges and compel placement thereof in a given relation, and complemental stops on the band and setting member arranged to limit the adjustments of the latter. y Y

8. In a time fuse the combination with a base of a rotatable timing device, a hammer and trigger mechanism releasable by said timing device, a setting member adjustably mounted on said base with provision for rotating about the axis of rotation of said timing device, a disengageable coupling between said setting member and the timing device for transmitting movement from the former to the latter, a wedge arranged in a. given position between contiguous parts of the base and setting member adapted to be crowded by inertia between such parts when fired from a gun, and4 complemental stops associated with said setting member and wedge arranged to prevent shifting of the timing device by the setting member into the position wherein release of the hammer and trigger mechanism is effected.

9. In a time fuse the combination of a base, a plurality of wedges and a band forming a combined unit, said base having sockets into which the ends of said wedges are adapted to enter, and an adjustable setting member rotatably mounted on the base surrounding said band and wedges, the outer sides of said wedges being substam tially parallel with the lline in which the fuse is designed to move When fired from the gun and the inner sides of the wedges being inclined to such line and bearing against the adjacent sides of. the sockets wherein they enter, whereby said Wedges are forced by set back upon firing further into said sockets and are crowded Y outwardly to bind the setting member.

10. A combined locking and stop member comprising an annular band and projections 'extending from said band parallel to the axis thereof and spaced around such axis, the extremities oi said projections being Wedge shaped radially and a stop carried by said band.

to said setting member covering and completing the fuse, the rim of said cap overlapping the adjacent part of the setting member, and both the cap and setting member having interlocking shoulders preventing the removal of one from the other.

In testimony whereof I have afxed my signature.

OLOF OHLSON. 

